POLITICS CORNER

[plaques]

One of the first moves in any fraudulent scheme is to get your intended victim involved in part of the scam. That way they can't go running off and complaining. Partygate and lucrative contracts to pals heads the list. Promoting people to positions they don't deserve makes sure they toe the official line. Its not just the Captain that goes down with the ship but a lot of the officers as well.

[Stanley]

And in the present circumstances the Tory backbenchers are only too well aware of a). what Johnson's peccadilloes are doing to their chances of survival in the next election and b). that they doubt if the same con trick combination of lies and misinformation can be used twice on the trot.... They remember that Mrs May survived the leadership vote and made them pay.

[Tizer]

Another thing winding up Boris's critics is the perceived role of Carrie Symonds in the shenanigans at No.10 and whether her mates get preferential treatment when appointing advisers, hangers-on etc.

I've searched google to see if there was any more information about the Plymouth Bretheren and covid contracts as covered by last Saturday's copy of The Times. I wasn't finding anything - but then this long article in Byline Times from August 2020 turned up. How strange there hasn't been anything more until the article in The Times...
`Companies Linked to ‘Exclusive Brethren’ Evangelical Sect Awarded Hundreds of Millions of PPE Government Contracts' LINK

Towards the end of the article is this...
Byline Times has attempted to contact every company, gospel hall and school to confirm the associations of the individuals named above but, as it has discovered with previous procurement contracts, many of these businesses appear to exist on paper only. While some connections therefore may be coincidental, there is a sufficient number of confirmed links to ask why an organisation with so few members should be associated with such a large volume of PPE contracts.

[Stanley]

It's a murky business Peter and everything we hear reinforces your concerns.
I am listening to 'news' about the failure of the NHS statement to materialise. Much speculation about interference from the Treasury over money but nobody has stated the bleeding obvious. The reason why the waiting list has hit 6 million is because successive governments have cut resources and what we see now is the natural result of too few resources to keep up with demand.
There can be no quick fix. It took twenty years to get here and it would take that to recover even with dedicated and adequate funding. Why don't they tell the truth!!
Ten minutes later and at least one MP is saying basically the same thing.

[Stanley]

Listen to Dominic Raab's car crash interview on the Savile affair here.

[plaques]

Another Brexit advantage bites the dust. leaving the EU gave the UK the ability to reduce VAT to any level it wanted unlike the EU which meant you couldn't go below the minimum norm, roughly 5%. Of course the UK chose not to use this advantage with the increase in fuel prices. Now we hear that the EU have changed their rules and will allow individual states to reduce VAT to zero for exceptional cases. Domestic fuel being one of them.

A new provision in the VAT directive was also added to address possible future crises and to enable member states to respond swiftly to exceptional circumstances, like pandemics, humanitarian crises or natural disasters.

These changes will come into force later this year giving greater autonomy to individual states and would have applied to the UK had we have stayed in the Common Market.

[Tripps]

These changes will come into force later this year giving greater autonomy to individual states and would have applied to the UK had we have stayed in the Common Market

I'm not sure that can be said with 100% confidence. The fact that we left may have been a factor.

It would be foolish to imagine that the EU we quit would always remain the same. Don't ask for a detailed analysis - I'm not clever enough. Just a gut feeling.

Interestingly I read recently that Natural gas to regarded as sustainable

We don't need their imprimatur now but I'd say (again) "let's get fracking"

[Stanley]

That seems the sensible thing to me as well David. Particularly when the government abandoned maintaining our storage capabilities.

[Stanley]

I heard Wes Streeting, Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on R4 yesterday criticising the announcement by Sajid Javid and he deployed all the arguments I have against it. So nice to have your prejudices reinforced....
See THIS for news that Jacob William Rees-Mogg has been appointed to the new post of Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency. So that's all right, he will grasp the tiller and steer the ship of state into the glorious future predicted by Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.
(He has just said that 'it's time to move on from the Jimmy Saville debate'. Really?)

[plaques]

the Buffoon has re-jigged his Cabinet to bring some adults into it. The obvious question is were the previous lot children? We then found he has promoted Jacob Rees-Mogg to Brexit Opportunities Minister. People will remember him lying down on the Common's bench, so much for being grown up.
Of course Boris is well known for throwing dead cats on the table not to mention the odd dead Savile to draw the attention away from his own troubles. Is the latest dead cat Jacob dead-cat Moggy? Also what happened to Moggy's IT system that was going to take care of the Brexit paperwork. I see some very lucrative consultancy fees looming.

[Tripps]

The money widely reported as being assigned to speeding up the backlog of 'normal' illness post Covid, seems to have been largely aimed at the I.T. industry, to give us a world beating system to tell you where you are in the queue, and to give up smoking before surgery.

What could possibly go wrong?

[PanBiker]

No mention of where the extra staff are going to come from to perform all the extra surgeries in the dedicated centres?

[PanBiker]

I shouldn't have worried. I have just had the (mis)fortune to see the latest Tory Party Political Broadcast. Apparently they are recruiting 50,000 nurses, (no doctors or surgeons mentioned) but just for good measure they are recruiting 20,000 police officers for good measure. I had all on to stop myself throwing up.

[plaques]

50,000 nurses is a manifesto promise.

In their 2019 manifesto, the Conservatives promised to deliver 50,000 more nurses in England by March 2025.

Bearing in mind that the latest date for the next general election is Thu, 2 May 2024. At sept 2019 there were 285,871 nurses. The latest estimates for 2021 put the numbers at 301,491. That's 15,629 over two years. If we discount that there may be a change of government in 2024 and then making the target 10,869 per year or now 13,219 per year since we are behind target which probably can only be done if you recruit from abroad. But who will remember all this in a months time?

[Stanley]

"I had all on to stop myself throwing up."
I get that feeling every time I hear Johnson, his ministers or his apologists Ian.

[plaques]

The Met is sending emails to those identified in the Partygate asking for answers of their involvement.
Who was it who was know for.....
Here is the question for a starter for 10.
No conferring.

[PanBiker]

Newsfeed on my phone has just reported that the Ukraine conflict is at its most dangerous stage. Of course it is, Boris is about to go and save the world.

[Tripps]

I've just watched quite a bit of a speech and Q and A session with John Major. What a contrast with Boris. Calm thinking and frankness- both things we've become strangers to of late. I think this may be a turning point for Boris. I hope so. The maskless mingling at very close quarters, of the audience shows that the pandemic must be over. Seems not though - as Prince Charles has just tested positive.

[Stanley]

I'm listening to a report on that on World at One. It's an important attack I think.
Liz Truss is rattling her sabre in Moscow. Johnson makes the situation sound as bad as possible to boost his 'shuttle diplomacy'. Do you ever get the impression that this threat of war is a negotiating ploy in another Putin boost for the international status of Russia. He has never got over the collapse of the Soviet Union.

[Stanley]

I think THIS essay by Laura Kuenssberg on Starmer is worth reading and some close attention. I think it's a good account of where things stand at the moment in a very fractious political climate.
Johnson has received his questionnaire on the parties, it's a legal document and an untruthful answer will have consequences. I wonder if there will be space for him to trot out his excuses?
I get the feeling the net is closing round Johnson and I think he knows it.

[plaques]

Not a fan of Laura Kuenssberg puts too much spin on what she is saying. "He could have said", "no proof could be found" " not being the other guy", The main thrust appears to be finding differences to show how divided the party is and trying to stir up apathy for not voting. And while we are at it what on earth does "Sir Keir said that he would be willing to use nuclear weapons in principle." really mean?

Johnson will have a full house of lawyers telling what to say. His current defence is 'he didn't think it was a party' who can argue with that getting inside someone's brain especially a buffoon like Boris will take some doing. Kafkaesque comes to mind.

[Tizer]

The tensions over Ukraine and Russia are still increasing. I remember hearing some weeks ago that there is a significant anniversary in late February relating to the Ukraine-Russia relationship that Putin may have chosen for an invasion or the start of some other major action. Unfortunately I can't remember the exact date or nature of event but it was something historical. I've looked on google but can't find anything definite, although Ukraine became a republic 30 years ago and I did see that on: 12th Feb 1991: The Ukrainian Supreme Soviet restores the Crimea as an autonomous republic within the borders of the Ukraine. Perhaps Putin wants revenge for that!

[Tripps]

I'm trying to stay out of the Ukraine squabble - I don't think I can help.

Tobias Ellwood MP (Raving Loony Tory Party) said we should put in British troops immediately in support of our European neighbour, and fellow democrats. I assume he's OK with our troops killing and being killed by Russians. His argument was that Iraq wasn't a NATO member either. Clever thinking there. He didn't mention how he would judge success, or his exit strategy.

Descibing the Ukraine as democratic triggered a few vague memories. Start here Yulia Tymoshenko and decide for yourself how democratic it is. Something tells me there is a touch of corruption about it all too. Hasn't Mr Biden's son got strong connections there? It's hard to keep up.

General Dannatt said we should give them an (under the counter) assurance that Ukraine would never join NATO. That sounds sensible. I got thoughts of Scotland applying to join the Warsaw pact, and our reaction to that!

Someone remarked that Trump would have dealt with it all a lot better, and done a deal by now. I think they are probably right.

[Tizer]

Someone remarked that Trump would have dealt with it all a lot better, and done a deal by now. I think they are probably right.

Yes, he'd have given all concerned Trump Tower Hotels and golf courses!

But more seriously I share your thoughts about Ukraine. There was an essay in The Times recently in which the author described past events in Ukraine and it made me much less likely to declare myself a supporter of the country's leaders. It sounds like there has been corruption on all sides.

[Stanley]

I still think that Putin is winding NATO up using the Ukraine to get more attention. As for corruption there I think that's a given. Wasn't that why they elected a stand up comic to the job of leader?
As for Tobias Ellwood.... Least said the better.
Ben Wallace is talking about appeasement in the diplomatic exchanges between the west and Russia. Is it responsible to make a comparison with the run up to WW2? How much blame can we assign to the Tory obsession with 'sovereignty'? Mention of British troops must be sending Putin into fits of laughter. They are too busy keeping the ambulance services going.....